Harry Potter and the Newfound Wizard
by stories-of-magic
Summary: Dudley Dursley grew up in a strange world. At age eleven, his cousin got a letter telling him that he was a wizard. When Dudley was twelve, a flying pudding flew through the house. Now, Dudley is thirteen. Life is pretty normal, and then comes the letter. A Hogwarts letter. Now Dudley is a wizard too. He's confused. I mean, what would you do if you got a Hogwarts letter?
1. Disclaimer

**DISCLAIMER:**

Most characters are not my own. They are J.K. Rowling's and I hold no rights over them.

I _am_, however, introducing several new characters that I have made up on my own.

The story will be very different than the actual third year in Harry's world, the book The Prisoner of Azkaban.

My chapter are told in parts, sometimes Harry, sometimes Dudley, and occasionally other characters as well, such as Ron or Hermione.

Please comment with any constructive criticism!

Enjoy!


	2. Chapter 1

**Hi! There are a few things I would like to make clear before you read on. First, this is my first Fanfiction on here and I'm really confused on how to do anything, so if the chapters are out of order or something like that, tell me and I'll try to fix it. Second, I'm not going to do a DISCLAIMER before every chapter. I put one in as the chapter before this one. I do NOT own MOST of these characters, though there are characters I did make up that had nothing to do with the Harry Potter books themselves. Thirdly, the chapters will vary in length. I can be good at details. I can also forget about them completely. So If a chapter is short, I'll probably make up for it in the next chapter. Ok, that's all! Enjoy!**

Chapter One

**Dudley**

"DUDLEY!" "YEAH, DAD?" I screamed back at him.

Clearly my father and I were to lazy to walk the 10 steps up or down the stairs, so we simply communicated by rapidly screaming and yelling at each other.

"GET THE MAIL!" called Dad.

"WHY CAN'T HARRY GET IT?!" I yelled back.

"BECAUSE I DON'T TRUST HIM WITH OUT MAIL ANYMORE AFTER WHAT HAPPENED TWO YEARS AGO! I TELL YOU ALL THE TIME, DUDDERS! GET THE MAIL!"

"FINE!" I yelled. I heaved myself out of my chair, which isn't an easy feat, and began to waddle towards the door.

I leaned over to reach the mail on the doormat and shuffled them together before grabbing them. I didn't want to lean over again.

I straightened up and hiked up my pants, which were creeping down my bottom.

I flipped through the post. There were about seven of them.

Junk. Postcard from Aunt Marge. Coupon. Newspaper. Letter with a large red seal on the back. Junk.

Wait a second...

I threw aside all the mail besides the letter with the red seal.

Oh no. I'd seen Harry get a letter like this two years ago.

Oh no, oh no, oh no. I slit it open and slid the letter out.

"Dear Mr. Dudley Dursley..." I read aloud.

"Oh nooo!" I moaned.

I squeezed out the door, and waddle-ran down the street until I caught up with my cousin who was sitting alone on a bench.

"Harry..." I panted, "I-I got a letter."

"Good for you." said Harry sarcastically.

"No, you don't understand!" I handed the letter to him. He narrowed his eyes at the fine red seal on the back, clearly thinking I was pulling a trick on him.

He pulled the letter out of it's envelope and read it. His eyes widened and he gasped.

"What?!" I exclaimed.

"Dudley... you're a wizard."

I felt like I was falling. My heart sunk, my stomach dropped, and my entire body turned into Jello. I leaned forward and sat next to Harry. I couldn't speak. I couldn't breathe. I just sat there, dumdfounded.

Call me stupid.

Call me weak-minded and dumb.

I don't care what you call me.

There was no way this was happening.

**Harry**

I thought I might just die here and now.

Here I was, just about to start my third year at Hogwarts, doing fine ignoring the Dursleys, and along comes the letter. The Dursleys _hate _magic, yet their son has it? They were glad to let me go to Hogwarts, hoping I'd get killed probably. They won't let Dudley go though.

Wait... They won't let Dudley go!

I won't have to worry about _him _bothering me and ruining my school year. I'd gotten my school list too, Dudley had just thrown it to the side, thinking it was junk. Third years were able to visit Hogsmede, but only if they had a form signed.

Why should the Dursleys sign my form?

Wait, I got off track. Back to what I was saying about Dudley.

Just one question: Why didn't Dudley get his letter when I did?

I again scanned the letter.

I began to read aloud, yet to myself.

"Dear Mr. Dudley Dursley, Congratulations! You are a wizard! Sorry for the late letter, but, as you might know, a Magic Quill writes down all the names of magical folk at the date of their birth. The Quill must've had a glitch, because it did not write your name down. No matter! We have your name now! We expect to see you on September 1st, on Platform 9 3/4 at King's Cross Station. A shopping list is enclosed, and it contains everything you would need for school before term starts. Incase you think you don't have to come to school, I'd like to tell you that you will be arrested if you choose not to come. You are magic, and there is nothing you can do about it. Sincerely, Headmaster Albus Percival Wulfran Brian Dumbledore."

I folded up the letter and sighed. "Well, that was the answer to that question, wasn't it."

Dudley, who was still standing next to me in shock, shook his head.

"What question?" he asked.

"Why you didn't get your letter sooner." I replied, "The object that detects magical folk had a glitch in it."

I handed it back to him and he read over it again.

"C-Couldn't this be a forgery? I mean, who says this is even real?"

"Magical documents have charms to prevent forgery. And that is Professor Dumbledore's signature." I said, pointing at the loopy signature.

"Oh," said Dudley in a small voice, "And what will I tell Mum and Dad?"

**Dudley**

This couldn't be happening to me. This _couldn't _be happening to me! _Why was this happening to me?!_ This couldn't be happening! My life was fine! I ate, i slept, I watched TV, I went to school, a _normal people _school. Now _I_ had magic? Wait a second...

I have magic too! Yes!

My only fear was that Mum and Dad won't let me go. I'd convince them somehow.

As I walked down the street back to my house, I came up with a long argument which involved several buckets of tears.

I opened the front door and waddled to the living room where my parents were sitting, my father reading the paper and my mother inspecting the upholstery for the tiniest specs of dust. I cleared my throat.

"Oh! Popkin! You're home!" exclaimed Mum.

Harry walked in after me and settled into an armchair, a look on his face told me that it was now or never to tell my parents.

"Umm... Mum? Dad? I, umm, got a letter." Dad laughed, "Good for you! Another birthday party invitation?"

"Er... No."

I handed the envelope to him and he grinned as he slid the letter out. But his smile faded as he read the letter.

Harry sat forward in his chair, waiting for Dad's explosion. But it never came.

Dad laughed as he handed the letter to Mum. "Oh Dudders! You always have had a terrific sense of humor!"

Mum didn't look happy though. She had a wild glint of fear in her eyes, but a small bit of hope as well.

"Dad, this isn't a joke. This letter is real. I'm-I'm a wizard."

Dad's head snapped up. "Surely not, my boy!"

Harry stood. "It's true. I don't like it anymore than you do, but it's true. Your son is a wizard." Dad blinked. "B-But-" "How could this happen? I have no idea. Read the letter. It explains why Dudley didn't get his letter sooner." Harry replied.

Dad turned purple, "I don't care if he's a 'wizard' or not, he can't go to this freak school!"

"He has to. If he doesn't, he'll get arrested and sent to the wizard prison Azkaban.", whispered my mother. Dad's mouth opened and closed like a fish. "Bu-Wh-... Fine. You can go."

"Thanks, I guess, Dad." But inside I cheered. YES!

**OK, that's my first chapter! I hoped you liked it! Review and comment questions and suggestions! **


	3. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

**Harry**

Ok, lemme get this straight.

Dudley was a wizard, he was going to Hogwarts WITH me, and now I had to take him shopping in Diagon Alley with Ron and Hermione.

Because this is _exactly _how I wanted to spend my third year at Hogwarts.

Well, there isn't much I could do about it. Actually, there's NOTHING I could do about it! Oh, well, as Hermione would probably say, 'There's no use crying over spilled potion'. At least I had Diagon Alley to look forward to.

The two weeks after Dudley got his letter seemed to crawl by.

Finally, my friend, Ron Weasley, picked Dudley and me up to go shopping for school.

Diagon Alley was an, er, interesting trip.

Dudley stopped at very shop to gawk at the amazing displays of wizarding items, and had us wait infront of the Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlor window for at least 30 minutes. Then, when we went to Ollivander's to get Dudley's wand, he must've tried more that seven wands before he found his: a short, stubby Rosewood and Dragon Heartstring wand.

Finally, shopping was over.

The amount of gold in my vault at Gringott's was at the lowest it's been in my 3 wizarding years, as I had to let Dudley use some of it to buy his school supplies.

Dudley and I were dropped off by the Weasley's back at the Dursley's house with our new supplies. Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon absolutely FAWNED over Dudley and his new second hand books and robes.

They sent me to my room, which was fine with me. I didn't think I could even stay downstairs to watch the sickening amount of babying going on down there without throwing up. I packed my things into my trunk and waited for dinner to be served.

As I waited, I wrote a letter to Hermione, who we hadn't been able to meet in Diagon Alley. I told her about Dudley, and how strange things were in this house, even stranger than usual. I was in the middle of telling her about how Aunt Petunia kind of forced Uncle Vernon into letting Dudley go to Hogwarts, when I heard a scream.

I ran downstairs and found a strange man with the body of a business man, the head of my-my mother, and he was so skinny you could see his ribs through his nice blazer. It looked at me and it's hands, it's hands turned into the cold dead fingers of a dementor.

Immediately I knew what this weird creature in the living room was.

This strange creature was a boggart, and, judging from the broken desk drawer on the floor, it had been hiding in the old desk and had been surprised to see three very scared people standing above it.

I ran up to it, pulling my wand out of my jacket as Dudley nervously glanced at me, then pulled out his own new wand. "Ok, time for your first magic lesson." I said hurriedly, " That thing is a boggart, don't ask what it is, I'll explain later. Repeat after me: Ridikkulus!"

"R-Ridikkulus?" Dudley stammered.

"Yes, now come with me, and when I say go, point your wand at the boggart and say that spell. Okay? Ready?"

Dudley nodded shakily.

"Then let's go!" I cried. We ran to the creature, leaving my aunt and uncle terrified against the wall.

"GO!" I shouted.

We both pointed our wands at the boggart and shouted "RIDIKKULUS!".

The boggart vanished in a wisp of smoke.

Dudley stumbled back to his parents, as I took a deep breath and went upstairs to wait for my expulsion letter from the Ministry of Magic. It never came.

After about an hour of waiting, I sat down at my desk and began writing my letter again.

**Dudley**

Ok, so first of all, Diagon Alley was amazing! The windows were amazing, the Ice Cream Parlor being my favorite by far. The ice creams came in flavors I'd never seen before, with strange toppings and huge scoops and chocolate covered cones, and...

Ok, i think I'm going on a little too long about the ice cream.

Anyways, I got my wand! i like it a lot. It is 10 inches long, made of rosewood with a dragon heartstring core. It took me a while to 'find a wand that was right for me' as the old man running the shop said, but it was _well _worth the wait.

And second of all...

Bloody hell, I-I think I just did magic...

There I was, talking to Mum and Dad, showing them my new w-wizard (wow that's STILL a hard word to get out) supplies, getting the star treatment, when Mum goes to get her camera to take a picture of me from her desk.

Then, BAM!

Out comes a very strange creature that my family and I'll have nightmares about for the next month and a half.

Harry later explained what it was to me - a boggart, a creature that turned into whatever the person or people closest to it were scared of. Our boggart had a business suit on (Dad's fear?), the head of a pretty young woman with red hair (maybe Mum's fear?), was dreadfully thin, and his blazer was open, exposing his bony chest and xylophone of ribs (my fear - I can't stand the thought of being thin, starving, or without food).

Anyways, the boggart jumped out of the dresser and Mum screamed, Dad pushed her and I against the wall behind him, and Harry came running down the stairs. He looked at the creature, registered what it was, then looked at me and started giving me my first unofficial magic lesson.

He taught me my first ever spell, then I pulled out my wand and helped, actually HELPED, Harry banish the boggart.

I tripped back to my parents and Harry went back upstairs. I swallowed, gave my parents a quick hug, the trotted as fast as I could up the stairs after Harry.

I went into his room without knocking, and had him tell me all about boggarts, and magic, and most of all, Hogwarts.

He told me about spells and how his friend could tutor me, as she was the brightest witch of her age.

He told me about boggarts, along with a few other magical creatures I might encounter in the wizarding world and at Hogwarts.

Finally, he entered my favorite subject of all nowadays - Hogwarts. He told me about the classes, the staircases and hallways, the talking pictures, and the view of the mountains and the lake with a giant squid. He told me of the people, the teachers, his friends (people I should get to know), and his enemies (people I should avoid).

After about an hour and a half, Mum shakily called dinner, which told Harry and I that the was still shaken up from this afternoon's, um, visitor.

We paused our conversation, Harry looked wistfully at the unfinished letter he was writing when I came in, and then we tromped back downstairs for dinner.

Dinner was an uncomfortable affair.

We were all silent, Mum picking at her food, Dad scarfing his down. Harry and I ate at normal speed, but kept glancing at each other and at the stairs.

Finally, dinner was over, and I went upstairs to wait for Harry in his room while he cleared the table. When he came back upstairs, I told him he could finish his letter before we continued talking.

He had a look of relief on his face as he sat down at his desk and finished his letter, which took about 20 minutes. When he was done, he called his owl down, tied the letter to her leg, and walked to the window, where she took off from his arm and soared off into the night.

He watched her go for a few minutes, then he walked back over to me, and we settled back into the world Harry had clearly been bursting to talk about for three summers now.

**Harry**

Finally!

August 1st!

It's finally time to go to Hogwarts! I woke up this morning, checked my alarm clock, and at the top in big bold letters - Hogwarts! (Hermione gave me the clock for Christmas, and I can set it to anything I want it to.)

I was so excited, I sat up really fast and tumbled out of bed!

I quickly got up and rushed to pick up anything I might need in my trunk. It's amazing how much stuff scatters over a period of a couple of months! I found a pair of my underwear on top of the fridge, a trainer in the medicine drawer, and a spell book wedged between my bed and the wall. Wow.

In a little while, Dudley stumbled into my room. His face was white, and his hands were shaking. He looked sick.

"H-Harry, I-I don't think I can do this. I can't go to Hogwarts."

"Oh. Ok!", I told him.

"Harry!"

I laughed, "Sorry. Why can't you go to Hogwarts?"

He took a shaky breath, "I don't know. I just-" "Look. I don't like the idea of you going, but I don't think your parents would like the idea of you getting arrested, and my life would just get even more miserable than it already is."

I sighed. "You'll be fine. Just pack your things."

He nodded then left my room (thank god). In about an hour and fifteen minutes we got breakfast then left for Kings Cross Station.

At 11:15, we got to the station, and we loaded our things onto two trolleys and walked to the barrier between platforms 9 and 10. I grinned, then turned around to see three very confused faces.

"Ok, so all you have to do is run straight at the wall. Don't stop, and I suggest you close your eyes. Oh, and make sure to really run into the wall." The Dursleys looked at me like I was crazy. I rolled my eyes, and looked around.

Thankfully I saw another Gryffindor in my year, Dean Thomas. "Hey, Dean!"

"Hey Harry! Good vacation?" asked Dean. "Yeah, how about you?"

"Good, thanks. And-" he lowered his voice, "who are those people?"

"Oh! They're my aunt, uncle, and cousin. I'll explain later" I added as he opened his mouth to ask a question. "Hey, can you show them how to go through the barrier?" "Sure." he replied. He ran through the wall and his sisters and mother followed him. "See?" I told the Dursleys. "Ok, you three go first. Don't give me that face, you'll be fine Dudley."

Dudley took a deep breath, and ran at the wall. He passed right through. I looked pointedly at my aunt and uncle. "Are you going or what?" Uncle Vernon shot me a nasty look, took Aunt Petunia's hand, and they ran through the barrier together.

I grinned, then took a running start at the barrier. I felt the cool sensation of the bricks, and then suddenly I was on Platform 9 3/4.

I smiled as I looked up at the Platform sign. "HARRY!" "Harry!" I turned around to see my two best friends rushing up to me. "Hey, Ron, Hermione! How are you two?"

"Terrific, you?" asked Hermione. "I'm fine. Hey I hate to ask this, but Dudley is going to have to sit with us on the train. Is that ok with you guys?" I asked.

Hermione nodded, and Ron pulled an "Ok." grimace. After all, Ron had met Dudley, Hermione knew nothing about him, besides what I wrote in my letter, of course.

At 11:56, the train arrived. It's whistle was ear splitting-ly loud, but to me, it was like a doorbell. The train's whistle was like a welcome home call.

We said goodbye to Hermione's parents, then Ron's, then finally we reached the Dursleys. We managed to pull Dudley away from his parents and onto the train, but with much difficulty.

We found an empty compartment on the train and put our trunks up. Then we sat down tittering with excitement. After a little while, we noticed Dudley was still standing in the doorway, as still as a statue.

I groaned, and Hermione shot me a disapproving glare. She got up and took Dudley's forearm. She tugged at him, and eventually Ron and I got up to help. We pulled Dudley into his seat, and Ron and I sat back down and took up a conversation of quidditch.

I glanced over at Dudley, and saw a painfully confused look on his face. I grunted and put my head in my hands.

This was going to be a very long train ride.

**Dudley**

As soon as I got through that barrier, I knew that my new school would be strange and confusing for me.

Everyone new more than I did, and had been at school longer than me. I was going to have a tough time.

The train showed up, and I reluctantly said goodbye to my parents. Harry, his friends, and I found a compartment to sit in. It was very awkward.

I remained standing in the doorway for a while.

Harry and his red-headed friend started talking excitedly about 'quidditch', whatever that is. His bushy-haired friend didn't join in the conversation, but kept glancing at me.

I stood in the doorway quietly, until the bushy-haired girl cleared her throat. Harry looked at her and she motioned her head towards me. Harry groaned, and the girl shot him a look. Then she got out of her seat and walked over to me.

She took my arm and, with the help of Harry and his ginger friend, pulled me into a seat. Then they continued with their conversation. The girl sighed and came over to sit next to me.

"Hi, Dudley, I'm Hermione Granger, I'm Harry's friend. The red-head over there-" The red-head she was speaking of shot her an angry glare. "-is Ron Weasley. I can tell you are very confused at the moment, but don't worry. You'll catch on fast enough. I did, at least. My parents are Muggles, see." she finished kindly.

"What are Muggles?" I asked, confused. Harry rolled his eyes. "Muggles are non-magical folk. Your parents are Muggles, like mine." answered the girl.

After the girl named Hermione told me that I would catch on fast, I became determined to do so. I listened hard to every subject and conversation, and asked questions often. Hermione answered graciously, Harry a few times, and the boy called Ron didn't answer at all.

Soon, I knew quite a lot about, well, about what everyone else knew. I knew about the sports and clubs offered at Hogwarts, magic creatures, and loads more stuff that made my head hurt. My favorite subject was the wizard sweets, though.

When a plump woman with a trolley laden with candies and sweets and cakes came by calling "Anything from the trolley? Anything from the trolley, dears?", Harry and Ron responded enthusiastically.

They bought 20 Chocolate Frogs (large toads made out of chocolate that actually jumped and hopped), 15 Pumpkin Pasties (fat pumpkin-filled cakes), and a large bag full of a mixture of Cauldron Cakes and Chocolate Cauldrons (the cakes were just cakes shaped like potion making cauldrons, the chocolates were cauldron-shaped and filled with a delicious liquid that Hermione told me was called Butterbeer).

We ate our way through the sweets, Ron shoving as much candy as possible into his mouth, and talked about Hogwarts. Harry, Ron, and Hermione told me all about the classes, and spells, and Hermione even told me that she would tutor me every night if she had to, to catch me up to everyone else. I told about how I was really nervous that I would be absolutely awful, and also how excited I was to finally see what Harry had talked about every summer up until now.

But then Ron brought up an unnerving subject. "Hermione, what if he isn't in our same house? How will you tutor him then?" Hermione thought about it for a little while, then said, "I'll figure it out."

Soon, it was time to put our robes on. We changed, then sat in silence as we watched the great looming castle come into view.

We were approaching Hogwarts.

**I tried to include more detail in this. Tell me what you think!**


	4. Chapter 3

Chapter Three

**Harry**

It was clear Dudley was going to have a hard time at Hogwarts from the minute he got his letter.

I just didn't realize how hard a time.

He usually has a blank look on his round, pink face, but when he sat with Hermione, Ron, and I on the Hogwarts Express, well, the blank look morphed into a dumbfounded one.

Dudley's eyes were glassy, his jaw was hanging down so far, it seemed to touch the floor. Ron found it difficult to understand how someone could be so blank about wizardry and witchcraft, and he kept rolling his eyes, moaning in disbelief, and shooting me pointed looks at every simple question Dudley asked. To tell the truth, I was having a hard time keeping myself from rolling my eyes along with Ron.

Hermione was kind to Dudley though. She answered every question, me adding on a few times, and we filled Dudley in about everything he ought to know in a matter if a few hours. He was so focused on what we were telling him, that when we bought almost the entire trolley full of sweets, he barely had anything besides one of everything to try, and two chocolate frogs.

When Hogwarts came into view, we changed into our school uniforms and robes, then, when we came to a halt at the platform, we grabbed our trunks and hustled out the doors onto the platform.

"FIRS' YEARS! FIRS' YEARS OVER 'ERE WITH ME!" yelled the gamekeeper, and my personal friend, Rubeus Hagrid. Hermione, Ron, and I set off to the Great Hall, and Dudley tried to follow us.

"You can't come with us! You have to go with the first years and Hagrid!" cried Ron incredulously. Dudley looked panicked for a second, then he turned and walked quickly over to Hagrid, who immediately asked Dudley a question. When Dudley answered, Hagrid's huge face showed recognition. I'd sent Hagrid a letter earlier this summer explaining everything.

The fist years walked past us towards the boats, Dudley looking huge among the tiny eleven year olds. Then again, Dudley was huge compared to most 16 year olds as well.

As the kids, and Dudley, shuffled past, Dudley shot me a look of despair and panick.

I rolled my eyes and motioned for him to keep moving. He had stopped and was causing quite the holdup.

We watched the first years get into the boats, and start paddling out to Hogwarts, their new home. Hermione, Ron, and I then turned and walked up to the great hall to await the sorting. We took our places at the Gryffindor table, and watched as the teachers and Headmaster took their seats.

The Sorting Hat sang it's yearly song, and when it was done the students awarded it with a smattering applause. Then, the fist years walked in.

The sorting was starting.

**Dudley**

Now, just let me tell you this - riding in tiny boats to a big, intimidating castle, with a bunch of little eleven year olds prodding each other and gaping at you _is-NOT-fun._

We, well,_ I_, paddled towards the castle, gaping up at the huge structure, and feeling many tiny eyes gaping at me. I ignored the little kids. I was older than them. I had more control than them too.

As we paddled, I thought about what 'house' I'd be in. Harry had told me that there was four houses. Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff, and Sningleton. Wait, no it was _Slytherin_. He had also told me that a hat, the Sorting Hat, told me what house I was in.

After thinking about this for a while, a horrible thought occurred to me.

_What if this Sorting Hat tells me that I can't be in ANY House? What if it tells me that there's been a mistake, and that I really should just go home on the train and forget this EVER HAPPENED?!_

_No, _I told myself, _I do belong here. I CAN be Sorted. No puny pathetic hat is going to send me home!_

Of course I felt that way! I'd spent 13 years of my life being babied and not really mattering.

I DO matter. I AM important!

Suddenly, there was a sharp prod in my back. I turned around, and I saw that a particularly tiny girl with very dark hair and dark eyes had poked me.

"Can I help you?" I asked her.

"I asked you a question." replied the little girl.

I huffed, "Well, I didn't hear you. Speak up next time." I tuned back around.

The little girl was silent, then I received another poke in the back, this one quite hard.

"What do you want?" I asked her harshly. She looked at me for a second or two, then she slugged my arm much harder than I would have expected a little girl to be able to punch.

"Ouch!" I exclaimed, "What was that for?!"

"Don't be rude." she said haughtily. I growled at her, and she raised her eyebrows. "Ooo, looks like the baby puppy has gotten mad! It's no surprise, I'll bet your cage _stinks_!", she cooed in a voice you would talk to children with. She was _taunting_ me.

I was surprised. I was having an _eleven year old _telling me off.

"Well? Are you going to answer my question?" she asked me.

"What was your question?", I asked her. She rolled her eyes. "What are you doing here? You look older than eleven. You should've already started at Hogwarts by now."

I told her why I was here so late. I explained the glitch in the Magic Quill. I explained a little too much, because I told her about Harry.

Her eyes got wide. "No way!", she exclaimed, "You're Harry Potter's _cousin_?!"

"Yes." I mumbled.

"Speak up." she said, grinning. I was beginning to like this girl.

"Yes." I replied, but louder. "I've answered your question, now answer mine. Who _are_ you?"

"Raizel."

"And what's your last name?"

"Not important. I don't use a last name." she answered.

"Um, ok. I'm Dudley. Dudley Dursley."

"Well, nice to meet you Dudley, Dudley Dursley." she responded with a somewhat evil grin.

I rolled my eyes. "It's Dudley."

Just then, we felt a bump. We had reached land.

We got out of our boats, and I looked down at little Raizel. Her tiny face and features were actually showing fear. The girl that had talked back to me in the boats had vanished, leaving a scared little girl in her place.

"Hey, it's ok." I told her. She smiled at me and we walked into the great castle along with Hagrid. There, another teacher, Professor McGonagall, met us and started talking to us, probably explaining everything. I don't know exactly what she said. I was zoning out. Soon, she left and all the first years began to talk excitedly.

When McGonagall returned, the kids went silent. McGonagall's hawk-like eyes swept over us.

She cleared her throat, and said, "They are ready for you."

**Raizel**

I'll tell you a secret - I don't make friends to easily. People don't like me, they think I'm weird and strange, and that my name is stupid.

I've been made fun of because of my name by a boy named _Quigley._ I mean, _really?_

Anyways, when I saw the bigger boy on my same boat, I was curious. What can you expect? I'm eleven and he's huge.

I asked him why he was here, being so much older, but he seemed to pretend not to hear me. I poked him in the back and he turned around and asked me rudely, "Can I _help_ you?"

"I asked you a question." I replied.

"Well, I didn't hear you. Speak up next time." he grunted as he turned back around.

I was quiet for a moment, thinking. _Am I really gonna let this guy be like this to me? No. I am sick and tired of everyone thinking I'm invulnerable to mean comments, thinking they can just hurl hurtful words at me. _I shook my head, and prodded him hard in his back.

"_What _do you _want_?!" he exclaimed harshly. I just looked at him for a second then I punched him in the arm as hard as I could. I was happy to see him whimper.

"Ouch! What was that for?!"

"Don't... you... _ever..._ be rude to me." I said. He growled at me (I mean, really? What are you, six?) and I threw an insult back at him.

He looked impressed. Good. Guess he doesn't have _little kids _yelling at him very often.

"Well? Are you going to answer my question?"

He acted ignorant. "What was you question?" I rolled my eyes and repeated it to him.

He explained why he was here so late and everything. Then, he told me about his cousin already going here.

"Oh, who's your cousin?" I asked. "Harry Potter." he replied.

The _famous Harry Potter _was his _cousin_?! Cool!

We kept talking of a while. I introduced myself, leaving out my last name as usual, and he told me his name was Dudley Dursley.

Then we hid the shore. We got ot of our boats, and I felt the color drain from my face. I was absolutely terrified. Dudley looked down at me. "Hey, it's ok." he told me. I gave him a shaky smile, and we walked up to the castle after the humongous man, Hagrid, I think. Once inside the castle, a tall, strict looking woman with cat-like features took us from him. Hagrid went though the huge doors behind the tall woman. She cleared her throat, and started talking.

"Welcome to Hogwarts, first years. I am Professor McGonagall. The start-of-term banquet will start shortly, bust first you must be sorted into your House. Your House will be something like your family while you are here. You will have classes with your house, sleep in your House dormitory, and spend free time in your House common room. The four Houses are Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff, and Slytherin. Each House has it's own outstanding history, and each House has produced magnificent witches and wizards. While at Hogwarts, any triumphs will earn your House points, and any broken rules will lose points. At the end of the year, the House with the most points will be awarded the House Cup, which is truly a terrific honor. I hope each of you will be a credit to whichever House becomes yours."

Her hawk-like glare swept over us, as if warning us_. _She gave a little nod of her head and continued.

"The Sorting Ceremony will take place in a few minutes in front of the rest of the school. I suggest you smarten yourselves up while you are waiting. I shall return when we are ready for you. Please, wait here quietly." And with that, she turned and walked through the doors in front of us.

We all started whispering quietly, but excitedly to each other. "_This is really happening!" _whispered a boy about my height on my left. _"I hope I'm in Ravenclaw!" _exclaimed a girl behind me, who was in the boat next to me. Her name was Abril, I think.

"Settle down, settle down." called Professor McGonagall stepping once again through the doors. "They are ready for you."

We shuffled into two lines, and, nervously tittering, started walking through the big wooden doors in to the huge hall that lay behind them.

I walked with confidence, ignoring the glances of the big kids. Once we got up to th front of the hall, we stopped in front of a dirty, old, patched up hat. Then, just over the brim of the hat, a rip opened up and it started singing.

It sang of the four houses, of the founders of Hogwarts, the great history of the school. The song was great and it made the first years even more excited to be sorted.

The hat finished it's song and the hall was filled with applause for it.

Then, Professor McGonagall walked up to the front of the hall and unrolled a scroll of parchment. 'When i call your name, please come up to the stool, where the Sorting Hat will be placed on your head. The Hat will then sort you into the appropriate house." she called. "Abril Summers."

The girl behind me shakily walked up to the stool. The hat was placed on her head, and after a moment the hat called, "_RAVENCLAW!_" Abril grinned form ear to ear as she ran to her new table which was full of applause for her. I was happy for her. She wanted to be in Ravenclaw after all.

"Alexander Nutely."

A pale, blond haired boy, shuffled up to the stool. The Sorting hat fell far past his eyes. The hat paused, then, "_HUFFLEPUFF!" _Alexander ran over to the Hufflepuff table and sat next to two bigger boys who clapped him on the back.

"Raizel Klein."

I flinched at the usage of my last name. I _hated _my last name. It was my father's last name. My father left us, my mother and I, when I was small. He crushed my mother. She tries to act happy around me, but I know that even after all these years, she is still miserable. I don't use my last name because it links me to him. He ruined my mother's life. I will never forgive him for that.

I walked up to the stool and sat down. Professor McGonagall placed the hat on my head, and I heard a voice in my head.

_"Well, hello, Miss Klein."_ _"Please, don't call me that." _I thought to the hat.

_"So sorry." _the hat replied. _"Now, back to the Sorting. I see plenty of brains, and a desire to prove who you are. I also see kindness, oh yes, plenty of kindness. But where to put you? Hmmm..." _

_"Um, yes, hello? Mr. Hat? I don't really mind where you put me, just not Slytherin." _I thought.

_"Oh, no dear. You definitely don't belong in Slytherin. I think I'll put you in... RAVENCLAW!"_

The hat bellowed the last word.

_"Thank you." _I told the hat.

_"Any time."_ it replied.

I removed the hat from my head, and placed it on the stool. I turned around and heard tons of people clapping, clapping for me! My face split into a grin, and I ran to the Ravenclaw table. I sat down next to Abril and we squealed with happiness. I shook so many hands and heard so many names, I wasn't sure how I'd remember everyone!

As I settled down onto the bench to watch the sorting, I smiled to myself. I finally found a family where I can be happy. Where I could be myself.

I wonder where my brother will go?

**Wait, Raizel has a brother? Read on and find out! **


End file.
